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I am a huge fan of intelligence mechanics in strategy games and I think that intelligence or knowledge of your opponents is a central pillar of strategic gameplay. I also think subversive actions can be really useful as a comeback mechanic for players that are disadvantaged in terms of size and resources to other players. Unfortunately, in Stellaris, I think the current system is woefully underutilized and ineffective for the amount of resources needed to complete an operation. These are precious energy credits, influence and an envoy that could be used for anything else. To put it simply, it doesn’t feel very rewarding, fun, or even strategic to actively use the operation mechanics. Most of the operations feel at best a minor nuisance to other empires. While I understand a concern was preventing the system from being too powerful for empires to harass other players, I think the switch to influence as well as the envoy requirement puts a major cap on how many and often these operations can be initiated and requires deliberation on making that choice. I will go through each of the operations and state ways they could be improved.
Gather Information: Gather information provides too little information and the results are too random to be an effective information gathering tool. My suggestion is that once you have completed the Gather Information operation, it unlocks multiple intelligence gathering operations that are more focused towards particular areas of interest. Lore-wise, this can be justified by gathering a basic general understanding of an empire and then knowing where to go afterwards to get specific types of information. An outline would look something like this:
Gather Information (unlocks on completion):
Great Success (16-20): Provides the number of technologies in each branch (e.g 8 Eng [3 Voidcraft, 2 Propulsion, 2 Materials, 1 Industry], 5 Soc [1 Biology, 1 Military Theory, 1 New Worlds, 2 Statecraft], 12 Phys[3 Computing, 4 Field Mani., 5 Particles]), current research, research resources per month (e.g +10 Eng, +5 Soc, +32 Phys after modifiers), and how many techs in each branch that your current empire does not have researched (1 Eng, 0 Soc, 4 Phys: Basically more specific than the Research Pact tooltip) and gives intel towards Technology
Success (10-15): Provides general number of techs in each branch (8 Eng, 5 Soc, 12 Phys), base research resources per month (+8 Eng, +4 Soc, +20 Phys before modifers), and how many techs that your current empire does not have researched (5 techs) and gives intel towards Technology
Slight Success (5-9): Provides number of techs researched (25 techs) and gives intel towards Technology.
Failure (0-4): Small amount of intel towards Technology.
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I will expand on the additional intelligence reports in a reply post to avoid bloating this section.
Spark Diplomatic Incident: Allow us to select which empire to target using a similar UI to the “Sabotage Starbase”. If the empire is friends with a lot of empires, then having it random would be too ineffective to accomplish anything. Allowing targets would allow players to have more control in sparking conflict between two empires.
Prepare Sleeper Cells: Honestly, it’s probably fine as is. It allows you to reposition the envoy for somewhere else without immediately suffering the loss of infiltration.
Acquire asset: Fine as is. Assets will become more valuable as operations become more useful and more varied in categories. In addition, new operations added in the future will increase their importance. I think being able to pick specific assets that you want on first try would be too powerful, so keeping it random helps keep it from being too overpowered in combination with other operations.
Extort favors: Also, probably fine as is. Straightforward and does what it’s intended to do.
Smear campaign: Like “Spark Diplomatic Incident”, allow us to select which empire to target if they are not part of a federation. Alternatively, it might also make more sense to have it negatively affect their diplomatic weight in the galactic community to help differentiate it from “Spark Diplomatic Incident”.
Steal Technology: Absolutely fine as is. Definitely one of the most powerful operations and the only one I think is worth using at all.
Sabotage Starbase: Way too weak, almost pointless. It might end up being cheaper for the enemy empire to rebuild the module that got destroyed than the Influence you put into destroying it in the first place. And alloys are easier to get than influence. Allow the opportunity to scuttle the entire starbase and their ownership on a system. That way if you really want that system, you could try to race to build a starbase and “steal the system” without spending a claim on it. The success of a scuttle should increase the closer the starbase is to your borders as well as having the relevant asset. This also allows a mechanic to take back systems that other empires took that you believe rightfully belong to you but you don’t want the animosity with a claim. However, I think all sabotage and provocation operations should grant a casus belli if you’re caught. Sabotage casus belli can only be initiated by the victim, where a provocation grants a casus belli from any empire that has the proper war policies. Likewise, if you’re caught, the victim empire should be allowed to denounce your empire which would negatively impact opinion from other empires based on how friendly they are to the victim empire. [This could lead to interesting situations like the rest of the galaxy turning a blind eye to your dirty tactics if said tactics are being employed on a genocidal empire, for example.]
Arm Privateers: This is so weak, I actually don’t even know if it’s working or where the privateers are if I complete this operation. Needs a major buff to be more powerful. This should be considered an actual threat. Again, make it so if you’re caught, there are major repercussions from the galactic community.
Crisis Beacon: I assume it’s powerful, but it’s hard to tell if it’s working sometimes. Once again, if you’re caught make it so there are major repercussions.
Imperium operations: The actual operations themselves are probably fine but the categories they are under don’t really make any sense. Subterfuge is more intelligence gathering based on previous operations and the Technology is very tangentially related. It artificially bloats the value of Subterfuge and Technology assets, as well.
Weaken Imperial Authority: Should be a Manipulation, Government operation.
Target Seditionists: Manipulation and Diplomacy instead.
Spark Rebellion: Provocation and Military instead.
Consume Star: This is cool. I like this one. If you’re caught, the victim empire should be allowed a casus belli as mentioned above.
In addition, I think a cool Provocation operation to add would be something to basically kickstart a robot rebellion if you have Synthetic Dawn. It would fail on empires that don’t meet the requirements for a robot rebellion to occur, but otherwise it allows you to speed things up a bit on a robot enslaving empire you don’t like.
In addition, more varied sabotage operations can be inspired by the asset positions and jobs. (e.g. A laborer causes a worker rebellion at a production facility on a planet and destroys it) for future new operations.
Gather Information: Gather information provides too little information and the results are too random to be an effective information gathering tool. My suggestion is that once you have completed the Gather Information operation, it unlocks multiple intelligence gathering operations that are more focused towards particular areas of interest. Lore-wise, this can be justified by gathering a basic general understanding of an empire and then knowing where to go afterwards to get specific types of information. An outline would look something like this:
Gather Information (unlocks on completion):
- Intelligence Report – Military
- Intelligence Report – Economy
- Intelligence Report – Technology
- Intelligence Report – Government
- Intelligence Report – Diplomacy
Great Success (16-20): Provides the number of technologies in each branch (e.g 8 Eng [3 Voidcraft, 2 Propulsion, 2 Materials, 1 Industry], 5 Soc [1 Biology, 1 Military Theory, 1 New Worlds, 2 Statecraft], 12 Phys[3 Computing, 4 Field Mani., 5 Particles]), current research, research resources per month (e.g +10 Eng, +5 Soc, +32 Phys after modifiers), and how many techs in each branch that your current empire does not have researched (1 Eng, 0 Soc, 4 Phys: Basically more specific than the Research Pact tooltip) and gives intel towards Technology
Success (10-15): Provides general number of techs in each branch (8 Eng, 5 Soc, 12 Phys), base research resources per month (+8 Eng, +4 Soc, +20 Phys before modifers), and how many techs that your current empire does not have researched (5 techs) and gives intel towards Technology
Slight Success (5-9): Provides number of techs researched (25 techs) and gives intel towards Technology.
Failure (0-4): Small amount of intel towards Technology.
--------------------
I will expand on the additional intelligence reports in a reply post to avoid bloating this section.
Spark Diplomatic Incident: Allow us to select which empire to target using a similar UI to the “Sabotage Starbase”. If the empire is friends with a lot of empires, then having it random would be too ineffective to accomplish anything. Allowing targets would allow players to have more control in sparking conflict between two empires.
Prepare Sleeper Cells: Honestly, it’s probably fine as is. It allows you to reposition the envoy for somewhere else without immediately suffering the loss of infiltration.
Acquire asset: Fine as is. Assets will become more valuable as operations become more useful and more varied in categories. In addition, new operations added in the future will increase their importance. I think being able to pick specific assets that you want on first try would be too powerful, so keeping it random helps keep it from being too overpowered in combination with other operations.
Extort favors: Also, probably fine as is. Straightforward and does what it’s intended to do.
Smear campaign: Like “Spark Diplomatic Incident”, allow us to select which empire to target if they are not part of a federation. Alternatively, it might also make more sense to have it negatively affect their diplomatic weight in the galactic community to help differentiate it from “Spark Diplomatic Incident”.
Steal Technology: Absolutely fine as is. Definitely one of the most powerful operations and the only one I think is worth using at all.
Sabotage Starbase: Way too weak, almost pointless. It might end up being cheaper for the enemy empire to rebuild the module that got destroyed than the Influence you put into destroying it in the first place. And alloys are easier to get than influence. Allow the opportunity to scuttle the entire starbase and their ownership on a system. That way if you really want that system, you could try to race to build a starbase and “steal the system” without spending a claim on it. The success of a scuttle should increase the closer the starbase is to your borders as well as having the relevant asset. This also allows a mechanic to take back systems that other empires took that you believe rightfully belong to you but you don’t want the animosity with a claim. However, I think all sabotage and provocation operations should grant a casus belli if you’re caught. Sabotage casus belli can only be initiated by the victim, where a provocation grants a casus belli from any empire that has the proper war policies. Likewise, if you’re caught, the victim empire should be allowed to denounce your empire which would negatively impact opinion from other empires based on how friendly they are to the victim empire. [This could lead to interesting situations like the rest of the galaxy turning a blind eye to your dirty tactics if said tactics are being employed on a genocidal empire, for example.]
Arm Privateers: This is so weak, I actually don’t even know if it’s working or where the privateers are if I complete this operation. Needs a major buff to be more powerful. This should be considered an actual threat. Again, make it so if you’re caught, there are major repercussions from the galactic community.
Crisis Beacon: I assume it’s powerful, but it’s hard to tell if it’s working sometimes. Once again, if you’re caught make it so there are major repercussions.
Imperium operations: The actual operations themselves are probably fine but the categories they are under don’t really make any sense. Subterfuge is more intelligence gathering based on previous operations and the Technology is very tangentially related. It artificially bloats the value of Subterfuge and Technology assets, as well.
Weaken Imperial Authority: Should be a Manipulation, Government operation.
Target Seditionists: Manipulation and Diplomacy instead.
Spark Rebellion: Provocation and Military instead.
Consume Star: This is cool. I like this one. If you’re caught, the victim empire should be allowed a casus belli as mentioned above.
In addition, I think a cool Provocation operation to add would be something to basically kickstart a robot rebellion if you have Synthetic Dawn. It would fail on empires that don’t meet the requirements for a robot rebellion to occur, but otherwise it allows you to speed things up a bit on a robot enslaving empire you don’t like.
In addition, more varied sabotage operations can be inspired by the asset positions and jobs. (e.g. A laborer causes a worker rebellion at a production facility on a planet and destroys it) for future new operations.
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